PORT EVERGLADES — Special teams who responded to a possible leak of hydrochloric acid from a cargo container at Port Everglades on Tuesday discovered it was something much less serious: industrial air freshener.
No injuries were reported, and the 9 a.m. incident in a container yard did not affect operations at the port, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said.
Fire Rescue and Hollywood hazardous materials teams responding to the leak in the container bound for Puerto Rico were told various chemicals were inside, including hydrochloric acid, Jachles said.
Crews donned air tanks and protective suits and used a forklift to find the source of the leak.
Officials were able to determine that the fluid was coming from industrial air freshener, Jachles said.
Exposure to hydrochloric acid can cause burns and respiratory damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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